Game



J. C. HEATH ET AL GAME May 4, 1926. 1,583,250

Filed May 7. 1925 Patented May 4-, 192%.

* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES C. HEATH AND CLARK E. BURRIS, OF DES MOINES, IOWA.

GAME.

Application filerl May 27, 1925. Serial No. 33,138.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES C. HEATH and CLARK E. BURnrs, each a citizen of the United States of America and a resident of Des Moines, Poll: County, Iowa, have invented an Improvement in Games, of which the following is a specification.

lhis invention relates to and is an improvement on the game described and claimed in our copending application filed February 2 1-, 1925, Serial Number 11,125.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved game.

A. further object of this invention is to provide improved'appliances for setting the court of the game-for playing.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved construction for the several appliances employed in setting and arranging the court for playing the im proved game.

Our invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the claims and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which' Figure 1 is a plan of the court showing the setting of appliances adapted to be employed with balls (and mallets at times) in playing the game. Figure 2 is a side elevation of a combined bridge station or hazard and a tunnel suspended therefrom. Figure 3 is a side elevation of a corral or trap hazard. Figure 4 is a front elevation of an air loop or hazard. Figure 5 is a front elevation of a swinging air loop or hazard. Figure 6 is a side elevation of a recurved air loop or hazard. Figures 7 and 8 are side and front elevations respectively of an air tunnel. Figure 9 is a side elevation of an air basket or hazard. Figures 2 to 9 inclusive are on an enlarged scale and illustrate elevations of the various appliances shown in plan in Figure 1.

The court preferably is of rectangular form and various appliances, hazards or stations are located selectively adjacent the border or bounds thereof andyat intervals ithin said bounds, as follows: Four stations A. are placed at the respective corners of the court obliquely to the bounds thereof and preferably are alike in construction. A station B is placed on the median line of the court and has its center substantially in the vertical plane. of the center of the. court.

Two stations C are placed on opposite sides of station E on the median line of the court and substantially centrally between ends of the station B and the end bounds of the court. 'lwo stations D are placed on the median line of the court between the stations C and the end lines or bounds of the court and may be selectively arranged to be played in line with or at an angle tothe stations C. Two stations'E are placed adjacent the side bounds of the court and are selectively spaced relative to the corner stations A. A station F is placed adjacent one side line or boundary of the court and is spaced selectively relative to the corner stations A and one ofthe stations E. The several stations may be used interchangeably with each other and with the stations illustrated anddescribed in our copending application above identified. Eachstation A preferably is formed of a single length of wire bent to produce a substantially-circular, loop 10 at its center and recurved arms 11, 12 extending from the twisted closure of said loop and terminating in point portions 13 adapted to penetrate a supporting surface, such as the ground of the court, and maintain the station. The arms 11, 12 are spaced laterally and adjacent the loop 10 are straight and substantially at right angles to the plane of said loop. The arms 11, 12 also are straight adjacent the point portions 13 and in planes, which when extended form acute angles with the planes of the other straight portions, and said straight portions are connected by rec-urved portions 1 1. A brace 15, preferably of relatively thin sheet metal, connects the arms 11, 12 and prevents undue spreading thereof in use. The station A is so mounted that its straight portions adjacent the point portions 18 are relatively flat to the supporting surface thus forming an inclined way leading to the re curved portions 14, which in turn form a curved Way leading toward the loop 10. A ball may be rolled on the inclined and curved ways into contact with the upper straight port-ions of the arms (which form an oppositelyinclined way) and be by them deflected through the loop 10. 'The station B'is formed of parallel laterally-spaced arched wires 16, 17 and a central arched wire 18 of lesser radius between them, said wires being formed with terminal portions 19 adapted to-penetrate the supporting surface nesaeso and maintain the station B in upright position, thus forming an arched runway or bridge over which a ball may be rolled longitudinally, the wires 16, 17 forming the sides and the wire 18 forming the bottom of the runway. ii brace 20, prererably of relatively thin sheet metal engages and connects the wires 16, 17, 13 and prevents undue separation or spreading thereof in use. An integral loop 21 is formed on and dc nds from the central portion of the wire 1o preferably, is located wholly above suppor -ng surf-ac and provides an air tunnel beneath the bridge n 'ng its opening substantially at right angles to the median line of the bri lire.

Each station C preferably is formed of a single iength of wire with a substantiallycircular loop 22 at its center having a twisted portion 23 as its closure, and arms 2%, 25: extending in opposite directions horizontally from the twisted portion and thence downwardly in parallel planes to form a square arch. Rightangled ben is are formed in the lower portions of the arms 24 to form feet 25, 26 and said feet terminate in point portions 27 at rightangles thereto adapted to penetrate the supporting surface and maintain the station in upright position. The loop 22 depends from the top portion of the arch preferably wholly above the supporting surface. Each station I) is formed with a substantially square arch 28 made or". a single length of wire, with a depressed or oli'set portion 29 in its top, parallel arms, feet 30, 31 and point portions 32 formed thereon like unto the station C. A. loop is formed of a single length of wire with a twisted portion 34 forming its closure, and

arms 35, 36 extending laterally from the twisted portion and hooks 3'7, 38 formed on and extending at right angles to said arms, said hooks engaging and pivoting on the oti'set or depressed portion 29 of the arch 28, thereby suspending the loop clear of the supporting surface and adapting it to swing within said arch. Each corral or trap station E is formed with a main frame, preferably made of a single length of wire by bending, having a U-shaped body 39 adapted to be arranged parallel with the supporting surface, vertical extensions 40 at the ends of the arms of said body, inwardlyextending recurved supporting member ll on tie up per ends of said extensions, downwardlyextending legs4e2 on the outer ends said members, feet {l3 on the lower ends of said legs and point portions i l on the extremities of said feet adapted to penetrate he supporti surface'and partially maintain the- "Z3 station frame in desired position. A stake is adapted to engage the central portion the body 3,9 at its upper end and also is adapted to penet ate the supporting surface and assist in In. fag-the frame-in sired position. A gate member is formed of a single length of wire and has a bar 4.6 adapted to extend across the entrance of the frame member 39 and bent rearwardly into said member, and upwardly-extending hooks 1 7, 48 adapted to hang and pivot on the supporting members ll. The outer arms of the hooks 47, e8 extend below the horizontal plane of the bocy 39 and arms 49, 50 are formed on and extend laterally in opposite directions from the extremities thereof and are adapted to engage the sides of the body at times and limit oscilliation of the bar and gate. The bar 4M3 may be engaged and lifted by a rolling ball to permit said ball to enter the body 39 and, after the passage of the ball, will drop in front of it and prevent its escape from the body by way of the entrance. A guard frame is provided for the station E and is formed with a U-shaped body 51, of greaterradius than the body 39 and adapted to be located substantially parallel with and above the body 39, legs 52 extending downwardly fromthe ends of the arms of said body 51, feet 53, 5% on the lower ends of said legs and point portions 55 on the outer ends of the feet adapted to penetrate the supporting surface and maintain the guard frame in desired position. The guard frame is employed to prevent a ball from bouncing or rolling out of the body 39. Each station F preferably is formed of a single piece of wire with a substantially-clipular loop 56 at its center, inclined legs 57, 58 and point portions 59, 60 adapted to penetrate the supporting surface and maintain the station in desired position. In use, the legs 57, 58 are relatively flat, forming an acute angle with the supporting surface and provide a runway on which a ball may be rolled to and through the loop 56, said loop being perpendieular to the supporting surface at the upper end of the runway. Each of the stations H is formed with a frame made of a single length of Wire, preferably, and having two substantially complete cells 61, 62 in its cen tral portion a1 "anged in planes forming an acute angle at the forward side, and arms 63, G l extending from the ends of the coils and inclined on aplane between the planes of the coils, and point portions 65 formed on the extremities of the arms and adapted to penetrate the supporting surface and maintain the station in desired position.

Crossed wires 66, 67 are fixed at their ends to and extendat angles to each other across ant. are bent below the coils, thereby forming, with the coils, a basket adapted to receive and retain a ball rolled therein over the inclined runway formed by the arms 64. Gne end each of the crossed wires 66, 67 is wrapped around and connects both coils-61, 62 adjacent the inner ends of the nest coil G1 serves the besret.

till) The several stations may be set in any desired supporting surface, such as earth, lawn, cement or wood and desired variations of degrees of angularity of the members relative to said surface may be made. Any desired number of ground or object balls and cucballs may be used and the cue-balls may be driven by any desired implement or tool.

The game may be played by one person with fairly good results, but in match play each player may be independent to four in number, or two pairs playing as partners. lVhen sin: or eight players compete in the number, or two pairs playing as partners. the partners using the same cue-ball. However, the number of driving tools and cueballs may be regulated as desired. Also the cue-balls may be rolled or tossed by hand if desired. Various rules may be fol lowed, or variations of play and manner of scoring be employed as desired. In playing the game with mallets and cue-balls, they are distributed among the players, one ball and one mallet to each one or group of partners, the ground balls, when used, and the stations being arranged as shown or otherwise selectively as desired. Sequence ofplay is determined in some agreed way such as by lagging or lot. Starting at either end of the court, the first player places his cueball on the median line of the court between stations C and D, at least two mallets length from the station C. He then strikes his cueball with his mallet in such manner as to drive it through the station C, the cue-ball passing through the suspended loop 22. The next objective is to pass the cue-ball over the bridge of station E, and having passed over said bridge the ball may be played against a ground ball or through other stations in sequence arranged, including the suspended loop 21, the recurved loops 10 of stations A, the swinging loops 33 of stations D and the loop 56 or elevated loops of stations F. Each player strives to drive his cue-ball over the indicated course and also to drive a ground ball or an opponents ball into the corral or trap stations E and the basket stations H, and also strives to hit a ground ball or an opponents ball with his cue-ball and displace either of them to inconvenience its further play by an opponent, and also strives to make billiard or carom plays on two or more balls other than his own. The course of play and value of hits made or stations passed, or balls other than his own pocketed, or penalties to be applied for misses or the pocketing of his cueball, and the like, may be determined by rules selected to govern the play. The simplest form of play would determine as the winner, the first player to complete a circuit ofa court without penalty or in spite thereof, having played all the stations in turn as arranged to he played and safely avoiding pocketing of his cue-ball in either station E or H. It will'be observed that all of the loops, through which balls are to be passed, and also the basket hazard, are elevated relative to the supporting or court surface. The braces 15 and 20 preferably clamp or frictionally engage the supporting wires and can be arranged by adjustment longitudinally of said wires. lVhen a cue-ball or ground ball is pocketed in station E or H it may be deemed out of play or penalizedto any lesser extend as agreed among the players before play is commenced.

Vi e claim as our invention 1. A game adapted to be, played on a court, comprising a plurality of stations forming the outline of said court, a plurality of stations within the outline of the court including a bridge and a tunnel suspended from and beneath said bridge, said stations being adapted to receive a ball.

2. A game adapted to be played on a court, comprising a plurality of stations forming the outline of said court, a plurality of stations within the outline of the court including a bridge, some of said stations being formed with loops wholly above the surface of the court, and a ball adapted to be rolled on said court over said bridge and through said loops.

3. A game adapted to be played on a court, comprising a plurality of stations in spaced relation, some of said stations being formed with loops wholly above the surface of the court and some of said stations being formed with retaining means, and a ball adapted to be passed through said loops and also adapted to be received by said retaining means at times.

4. In a game adapted to be played on a court, a plurality of stations in spaced relation, one of said stations being a bridge, other of said stations being formed with loops elevated wholly above thesurface of the court, and a ball adapted to be passed over and in contact with said bridge and also adapted to be passed through said loops.

5. In a game adapted to be played on a court, a plurality of stations in spaced relation, one of said stations being a bridge 3 formed with asuspended loop, other of said stations being formed with loops, all of said loops being elevated wholly above the surface of the court, and a ball adapted to be passed over said bridge and also adapted to be passed through said loops.

6. In a game adapted to be played on a court, a plurality of stations in spaced relation, one of said stations being a bridge,

other of said stations being formed with loops elevated wholly above the surface of thec'ourt, other of said stations being formed 'withretaining means above the surface of the court, and a ball adapted to be passed over and in contact. with said bridge and also adapted to be passed through said loops, and also adapted to be received and held by said retaining means at times.

7. In a game adapted to be played on a court, a plurality of stations in spaced relation, one of said stations being a bridge formed with a suspended loop beneath the arch thereof, other of said stations being formed with loops ele ated wholly above the surface of the court, other of said stations being formed with retaining means, and a ball adapted to be passed over and in contact with said bridge, and also adapted to be passed through said loops selectively, and also adapted to be received and held by said retaining means selectively.

8. In a game adapted to be played on a court, having a plurality of stations in spaced relation, one of said stations being formed with an inclined runway and a recurved runway and a reversely-inclined runway in sequence, and also formed with an elevated loop at the terminal of the reversely-inclined runway.

9. In a game adapted to be played on a court, having a plurality of stations in saaced relation, one of said stations being formed with an'inclined runway, and a recurved runway and a reversely inclined runway in sequence, and also formed with a suspended loop at the terminal of the reversely-inclined runway, and means for securing said station to a supporting surface.

10. in a game, a station formed with an inclined runway and a curved runway and a inversely-inclined runway and av suspended loop in sequence, and a ball adapted to be rolled on said runways, and through said loop.

11. in a game, a wire stat-ion formed with a loop in its central portion and substantially-puirallel arms leading therefrom, said arms being connected adjacent said loop, said arms fori'ning a runway terminating at said loop, said runway being inclined at one end and reversely inclined at the opposite end, the inclined portions being connected by a curved portion, extremities of said arms being adapted to penetrate a supporting surface to maintain the station in desired position, said loop lying in a plane at an angle to either inclined portion of the runway.

12. in a game, a station formed of a wire frame having arms, the extremities of the arms being adapted to penetrate a supporting surface, and a loop suspended wholly above the supporting surface by said arms, said arms forming a runway to said loop.

18. In a game, a station formed of a wire frame having arms, and also having a loop suspended wholly above a supporting surface, said arms forming a runway to said loop, and a brace adjust-ably mounted on and connecting said arms.

34, In a g m a s at n t rme'do sabesaaso stantially parallel wire arches, ends of said arches being adapted to penetrate a supporting surface, an intermediate arch being of less radius than the outer arch-es, and a brace connecting said arches.

15. In a game, a bridge runway formed of more than two substantially parallel arches spaced apart, ends of said arches being adapted to be secured to a supporting surface, an intermediate arch being of less radius than the outer arches and being formed with a loop depending therefrom.

16. In a game, a bridge runway formed of more than two substantially parallel arches spaced apart, ends of said arches being adapted to be secured to a supporting surface, an intermediate arch being of less radius than the outer arches and being formed with an integral loop depending therefrom and adapted to be supported thereby wholly above the supporting surface, the opening of said loop having its axis an angle to the trend of the runway.

17. In a game, a bridge runway formed of more than two wire arches, one of said arches being of less radius than the others and formed with a loop depending from its central portion, and a brace adjustably mounted on and connecting said arches, said brace being adapted to engage the upper portlon of said loop.

1.8. in a game, a station formed of a wire frame having substantially parallel arms forming an inclined runway, ends of said arms being adapted to penetrate a supporting surface, and also formed with a loop at the upper end of said runway and perpendicular to the supporting surface.

19. In a game, a station formed of a wire frame substantially square-arched, the arms of the frame being formed with feet, said feet being formed with extensions adapted to penetrate a supporting surface, said frame also being formed with a loop depending from its top portion between its arms.

20. In a game, a station formed of a substantially square-arched frame adapted to extend perpendicularly to a supporting surface, and also formed with a loop depending from its top between its arms.

21. In a game, a station formed of a wire frame substantially squarearched adapted to be mounted perpendicular to a supporting surface, and a loop hinged to and depending from the top of said frame between the arms thereof.

22. In a game, a station formed with a wire frame substantially square-arched and adapted to be mounted perpendicular to a supporting surface, the top of said frame being formed with an offset portion, and a loop pivoted to said offset portion and de pending between and in line with the arms of said frame.

23- la a s me, a ta -io ccord ng to claim 22, distinguished .in this, that the loop member has atwisted portion and arms leading therefrom formed with hooks adapted to pivot on said top of the frame.

24. In a game, a corral or trap station, comprising a recumbent'fraine and a gate swin 'ingly suspended thereon and adapted to be opened bya ball advancing into said frame and also adapted .to drop behind and retain said ball.

25. In a game, a corral station formed 7 with a recumbent frame, a gate therefor adapted to be openedby a ball advancing into saidv frame, and a guard frame surmounting and part1allysurround1ng the first frame.

26. In a game, a nest station formed of a Wire frame having a runway, a pl-urality of,

loops at the upper end ofsaid runway, and

crossed Wires supported bysaid loops and from said loops, and a netof crossed wires.

carried by said loops. V o 7 Signed at Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, this 16th day of May, 1925. 7

JAMES C. HEATH. CLARK E. BURRIS. 

